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Teenage firefighter died on the third day of his first firefighting season

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Jim Whittington, BLM fire information officer, left, chokes up during a news conference about the death of Jesse Trader, 19, a water tender truck driver who died in a roll-over on Bear Camp Road Aug. 6, 2013.
(AP Photo/The Daily Courier, Timothy Bullard)

Trader was the second Oregon firefighter to die in the line of duty in the past week. Tuesday was the third day of his first firefighting season, his 15-year-old brother said.

Trader had wanted to be a firefighter since he was 9, said his mother, Gigi Trader. His uncle owned a fire-suppression company in Merlin called County Fire and Rescue and hired the teenager for the summer, she said.

Trader had just worked more than 12 hours and was driving back to the fire camp in Merlin along a narrow, winding road above steep canyons, said Jim Whittington, a spokesman for the Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team.

He was among a group of about 170 people who were heading back to the base from the fire lines. The night shift workers typically start at 5:30 p.m. and finish about 7 a.m.

The water tender tumbled at an altitude between 3,500 and 4,000 feet, on Bear Camp Road.

Oregon law does not cap the hours a firefighter can work within a 24-hour period, said Charlie Burr, communications director for the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries.

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the case, said spokeswoman Melanie Mesaros. The agency will look into supervision, training and safety protocols, among other things, and might interview witnesses and other employees.

Trader had a valid commercial driver's license to drive the water truck, state records indicate.

He had finished his freshman year studying fire science at Western Oregon University, where he had an academic scholarship, his mother said. He had transferred to Chemeketa Community College, where he was going to study to become a paramedic and firefighter.

"He was an awesome kid," she said. "Inspirational to others, very athletic, an all-around great kid."

He loved water skiing, boating and snowboarding, his mother said. His younger brother and 16-year-old sister looked up to him, and he had many friends.

Jacob Trader, who dreams of becoming a professional baseball player, recalled playing football, basketball and baseball with his older brother.

Although Jesse Trader played baseball in high school, he reassessed his priorities to focus on firefighting, his brother said. Jesse Trader's dream was to one day join the Albany Fire Department.

"He found his calling in firefighting," his brother said. "He's been edging to get out there and start helping."